Thursday, 28 November 2013

Many home remodeling projects are
doomed before they even get off the ground because of improper planning. And
many of the most complicated and tough remodeling jobs go off smoothly because
of the detailed initial planning that was done. Planning for a major home
remodel involves a few basic steps which, if kept in mind, can turn a
tough job into a much easier one.

Sketch out you dreams.
From the time you think of remodeling your home, start sketching
out your ideas. Revise them as often as you want and get inputs from the
rest of the family. The more time you spend on this the better. When you
do start talking to architects, your sketches will help them to understand
what you are looking for more clearly than words will.

Think of the future. The family’s needs will change over time.
What looks great today could be a problem a few years down the road. Will
you be retiring after a couple of years? Will the kids be going off to
college? Do you want to start working from home? These are the kinds of
things you need to consider and build into your planning.

Are you adding value? Evaluate all the changes you plan on the
basis of how they will affect your home’s value. Even if you have no plans
to sell it, are you sure you want to make changes that could reduce its
market value? And if you plan to sell after a few years, you will want to
get the best price.

Learn from what others have done. The inputs of those who have
remodeled their homes can be invaluable in helping you get the best results,
cut costs and avoid hassles. Even if you don’t have friends who have
remodeled their home, there are websites, blogs and online discussions on
home remodeling where you can learn, ask questions and pick up valuable
tips.

Plan your expenses. Most remodeling projects run over budget,
so always keep a buffer. And evaluate the need for everything you use –
there may be more cost effective options. For example, do you really need
high end designer tiles or will less costly options work? This doesn’t mean to compromise on
quality. That is a huge mistake as the future repair and maintenance bills
will hurt. Look at things in terms of luxury versus essentiality. When the
essential are in place, use the money left for the luxuries.

Get the right team. Having the right architect and contractor
is crucial to the outcome of the remodel. Obviously you will look at their
qualifications and experience. You can even look at other projects they
have done. But do not overlook the importance of working with people you are
comfortable with and whom you think understand what you want. They will be
able to translate your ideas into reality. Using the services of a
design-build contractor makes the process much easier since you have to
deal with one company for everything and coordination is easy.

Plan for domestic disruption. Your household routine will be
upset when the work is going on.
Kitchens and bathrooms will be unusable and the whole house will be
full of dust and debris. Think about how you are going to manage for the
duration of the project and plan on ways to minimize the discomfort and
inconvenience. The disruption can lead to irritation and family squabbles.
Plan a regular weekly family outing to give everyone a chance of unwind.

Expect the unexpected. No matter how much you plan, problems
will arise. Be mentally prepared for them so that you can deal with them
better. Remember that problems arise when things seem to be going really
well.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

A garage is defined as a
“building or indoor space in which to park or keep a motor vehicle.” The
reality is often quite different. A car may be parked in a garage, but so too
are all kinds of other things. From freezers to things for which there is no
other storage space to junk. In time the car and the other stuff stored there live
a cramped and uncomfortable existence.
But there are other uses for a garage and it can become a useful room
that will add a lot of living space to a home.

The first thing to do is to
decide if the garage is for your car. Can you park it in the driveway instead?
Or maybe even on the street? If you can, then a huge amount of space is now
available to you to use as you want.

From a guest suite to a home
theater to a gym, a garage can be turned into anything. The design, fittings
and budget will depend on what you want to turn it into. But whatever it is,
there are some basics that will need to be done.

ØThe first thing to do is to clean out the garage
completely. That means that not even one box must be left there. This will give
you a better idea of the size you have available. It’s surprising how cramped a
big garage can look when it is stuffed with all kinds of boxes, skis and other
odds and ends.

ØNow examine the space carefully. Look for
defects of all kinds from broken switches to cracks in the wall. Make a list of
all the repairs and budget for it all.

ØIf a car will no longer be parked there, do you
need to keep the garage door? You could wall it up completely so the entrance
is from inside the house. Or you could put in a door so that it can becomes a
second entrance to the house or an independent entry point for a guest suite.

ØGarages do not normally have windows. This needs
to be remedied. Keeping the end use of the room in mind, put in as many windows
as possible. Good natural light is always going to be welcome, whatever the use
of the room.

ØDo you need plumbing? if it’s a guest suite a
small bathroom will need to be installed. Even a home theater will benefit if
there is a small convenient toilet attached to it. Consult a plumber on the viability of the
plumbing you plan to install.

ØThe same goes for electricity. Depending on the
use of the room, extra lights and sockets will need to be provided.

ØIf it is going to be a home theater or game
room, it could get noisy inside. Do you need to think about soundproofing?

ØThen comes the issues of different seasons. Will
you need heating or air conditioning to make the room usable in extreme
climatic conditions?

ØIf you have the space, think about partitioning
off a small part of the room for use as storage space. Just because you no
longer have a garage does not mean that things will stop accumulating in the
home.

These are the basics that will
form the backbone of any garage remodeling that you do. If it’s a simple
painting a cleanup job, then it could be a nice DIY project. But if it is
something more complicated then it is always better to use the services of a
remodeling contractor. Avoid using the services of handymen, no matter how much
you may save. They undertake repairs and small installation jobs. Changing the
look and use of a garage can be complicated and is beyond the scope of a
handyman. It’s better to wait until you have the budget to do the remodel
properly instead of cutting cost and ending up with a room that satisfies no
one.